What should a paragraph do? At the risk of being silly, consider this. What you look for in a partner, a reader looks for in a paragraph. You want a partner who is supportive, strong, and considerate to others. Similarly, a good paragraph will:

1. Be Supportive. Even in the most trying of times a good paragraph will find a way to support the thesis. It will declare its relationship to the thesis clearly, so that the whole world knows what the paragraph intends to do. In other words, a supportive paragraph's main idea clearly develops the argument of the thesis.

2. Be Strong. A good paragraph isn't bloated with irrelevant evidence or redundant sentences. Nor is it a scrawny thing, begging to be fed. It's strong and buffed. You know that it's been worked on. In other words, a strong paragraph develops its main idea, using sufficient evidence.

3. Be Considerate. Good paragraphs consider their relationship to other paragraphs. A good paragraph never interrupts its fellow paragraphs to babble on about its own, irrelevant problems. A good paragraph waits its turn. It shows up when and where it's supposed to. It doesn't make a mess for other paragraphs to clean up. In other words, a considerate paragraph is a coherent paragraph. It makes sense within the text as a whole.

Writing the Topic Sentence Just as every paper requires a thesis to assert and control its argument, so does every paragraph require a topic sentence to assert and control its main idea. Without a topic sentence, your paragraphs will seem jumbled, aimless. Your reader will find himself confused. Because the topic sentence plays an important role in your paragraph, it must be crafted with care. When you've written a topic sentence, ask yourself the following questions: 

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Does the topic sentence declare a single point of my argument? Because the reader expects that a paragraph will explore ONE idea in your paper, it's important that your topic sentence isn't too ambitious. If your topic sentence points to two or three ideas, perhaps you need to consider developing more paragraphs. Does the topic sentence further my argument? Give your topic sentences the same "so what?" test that you gave your thesis sentence. If your topic sentence isn't interesting, your paragraph probably won't serve to further the argument. Your paper could stall. Is the topic sentence relevant to my thesis? It might seem so to you, but the relevance may not be so clear to your reader. If you find that your topic sentence is taking you into new ground, stop writing and consider your options. You'll either have to rewrite your thesis to accommodate this new direction, or you will have to edit this paragraph from your final paper. Is there a clear relationship between this topic sentence and the paragraph that came before? It's important to make sure that you haven't left out any steps in the process of composing your argument. If you make a sudden turn in your reasoning, signify that turn to the reader by using the proper transitional phrase - on the other hand, however, etc. Does the topic sentence control my paragraph? If your paragraph seems to unravel, take a second look. It might be that your topic sentence isn't adequately controlling your paragraph and needs to be rewritten. Or it might be that your paragraph is moving on to a new idea that needs to be sorted out. Where have I placed my topic sentence? Most of the time a topic sentence comes at the beginning of a paragraph. A reader expects to see it there, so if you are going to place it elsewhere, you'll need to have a good reason and a bit of skill. You might justify putting the topic sentence in the middle of the

paragraph, for example, if you have information that needs to precede it. You might also justify putting the topic sentence at the end of the paragraph, if you want the reader to consider your line of reasoning before you declare your main point.

Developing Your Argument: Evidence Students often ask how long a paragraph ought to be. Our response: "As long as it takes." It's possible to make a point quickly. Sometimes it's desirable to keep it short. Notice the above paragraph, for example. We might have hemmed and hawed, talked about short paragraphs and long paragraphs. We might have said that the average paragraph is one-half to two-thirds of a page in length. We might have spent time explaining why the too-short paragraph is too short, and the too-long paragraph too long. Instead, we cut to the chase. After huffing and puffing through this paragraph (which is getting longer and longer all the time) we'll give you the same advice: a good paragraph is as long as it needs to be in order to illustrate, explore, and/or prove its main idea. But length isn't all that matters in paragraph development. What's important is that a paragraph develops its idea fully, and in a manner that a reader can follow with ease. Let's consider these two issues carefully. First: how do we know when an idea is fully developed? If your topic sentence is well-written, it should tell you what your paragraph needs to do. If my topic sentence declares, for example, that there are two conflicting impulses at work in a particular fictional character, then my reader will expect that I will define and illustrate these two impulses. I might take two paragraphs to do this; I might take one. My decision will depend on how important this matter is to my discussion. If the point is an important one, I take my time. I also (more likely than not) use at least two paragraphs. In this case, a topic sentence might be understood as controlling not only a paragraph, but an entire section of text. When you've written a paragraph, ask yourself these questions:        

Do I have enough evidence to support this paragraph's idea? Do I have too much evidence? (In other words, will the reader be lost in a morass of details, unable to see the argument as a whole?) Does this evidence clearly support the assertion I am making in this paragraph, or am I stretching it? If I am stretching it, what can I do to persuade the reader that this stretch is worth making? Am I repeating myself in this paragraph? Have I defined all of the paragraph's important terms? Can I say, in a nutshell, what the purpose of this paragraph is? Has the paragraph fulfilled that purpose?

Developing Your Argument: Arrangement Equally important to the idea of a paragraph's development is the matter of the paragraph's arrangement. Paragraphs are arranged differently for different purposes. For example, if you are writing a history paper and wish to summarize a sequence of events, you of course will arrange your information chronologically. If you are writing a paper for an art history course in which you want to describe a painting or a building, then you will perhaps choose to arrange your information spatially. If you are writing a paper for a sociology course in which you have been asked to observe the behaviors of shoppers at a supermarket, you might want to arrange your ideas by working from the specific to the general. And so on. You will also want to consider your method of reasoning when you construct your paragraph. Are you using inductive logic, working from clues towards your conclusion? If so, your paragraph will reflect this way of

thinking: your evidence will come early on in the paragraph, and the topic sentence will appear at the end. If, on the other hand, you are using deductive logic, your paragraph will very likely be arranged like a syllogism. Finally, remember that the modes of discourse that we outlined earlier can also serve as models for arranging information within a paragraph. If the purpose of a particular paragraph is to make a comparison, for example, your paragraph would be structured to assert that "A is like B in these three ways." And so on.

Coherence OK, so you've gotten this far: you have your thesis, your topic sentences, and truckloads of evidence to support the whole lot. You've spent three days writing your paragraphs, making sure that each paragraph argues one point and that this point is well supported with textual evidence. But when you read this essay back to yourself, you feel a profound sense of disappointment. Though you've followed your outline and everything is "in there," the essay just doesn't seem to hold together. It could be that you have a problem with coherence. A lack of coherence is easy to diagnose, but not so easy to cure. An incoherent essay doesn't seem to flow. Its arguments are hard to understand. The reader has to double back again and again in order to follow the gist of the argument. Something has gone wrong. What? Look for these problems in your paper: 

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Follow the principle of moving from old to new. If you put the old information at the beginning of the sentence, and the new information at the end, you accomplish two things. First, you ensure that your reader is on solid ground: she moves from the familiar to the unknown. Second, because we tend to give emphasis to what comes at the end of a sentence, the reader rightfully perceives that the new information is more important than the old. Use repetition to create a sense of unity. Repeating key words and phrases at appropriate moments will give your reader a sense of coherence in your work. Don't overdo it, however. You'll risk sounding redundant. Use transition markers wisely. Sometimes you'll need to announce to your reader some turn in your argument. Or you'll want to emphasize one of your points. Or you'll want to make clear some relationship in time. In all these cases you'll want to use transition markers.

Here are some examples:          

To show place - above, below, here, there, etc. To show time - after, before, currently, during, earlier, later, etc. To give an example - for example, for instance, etc. To show addition - additionally, also, and, furthermore, moreover, equally important, etc. To show similarity - also, likewise, in the same way, similarly, etc. To show an exception - but, however, nevertheless, on the other hand, on the contrary, yet, etc. To show a sequence - first, second, third, next, then, etc. To emphasize - indeed, in fact, of course, etc. To show cause and effect - accordingly, consequently, therefore, thus, etc. To conclude or repeat - finally, in conclusion, on the whole, in the end, etc.

USING QUOTES IN THE ANALYTICAL ESSAY BASIC STRUCTURE OF EACH PARAGRAPH 1. TOPIC SENTENCE of your paragraph (what the paragraph will be about). It is like a mini-thesis. This is one point of your argument, your opinion. 2. CONTEXT of the quote (where in the story do these words appear? What is the situation in which it is said? etc.). 3. INTRODUCTION to the quote. Tell us who says it. The author? The narrator? A specific character? To whom is the quote addressed? About what are they speaking (if it isn't self-explanatory). Use a comma before the quote, or a colon if the introduction of the quote is a complete sentence in itself. 4. THE QUOTE ITSELF followed by a page number in parentheses. 5. EXPLANATION AND ANALYSIS of the quote*. Tell why it is important and how it relates to your thesis. Be specific about what in the quote, which words, lead you to that conclusion. Be thorough and logical. *Most of your paragraphs should be spent analyzing, using your own words to explain how and why the quote you used supports your topic sentence and your thesis. In analytical essays, your analysis is the heart of the paper.* Dos Don’ts Do put double quotation marks around Don‘t ever say: ‗And I quote…‘ You should not use the ―I‖ quotes – they‘re clearer to see than pronoun in a persuasive essay, and the phrase is cliché. single ones and they don‘t look like lost apostrophes. Do quote accurately. If you can‘t Don‘t ever say: ‗The writer quotes…‘ The writer doesn‘t quote, remember the quotation properly, don‘t that‘s what YOU do! use it. Do comment on words you quote. Don‘t quote huge lengthy passages and then think you‘ve worked miracles. As a rule of thumb, there should be at least twice as many of your words commenting on the quotation, as there is in the quotation. Using Quotations in Your Essay –some helpful hints Introduce the quotation with your own words and integrate it grammatically into the sentence. NO: Susie Salmon knew that tragedies were a part of life and had to be accepted. “Horror on Earth is real and it is every day” (186). YES: Susie Salmon knew that “horror on Earth is real and it is every day” and thus understood that tragedies were a part of life and needed to be accepted (186). KEY WORD: INTEGRATION! Integrate the quote into the sentence! Reproduce the exact wording, punctuation, capitalization and spelling of the original, including errors. Supplementary information should be enclosed in square brackets if within the quotation or in parentheses if after the quotation. Enclose in square brackets comments of your own added to clarify information or pronouns in the original. Susie started to show her maturity as she contemplated her murder and subsequently, her murderer. She admits, the “hardest for me to realize was that *Mr. Harvey+ had tried each time to stop himself” (170). Omitting words or phrases from quotations Ellipses indicate that some unnecessary words have been left out of a quotation. We use ellipses when we want to make a quotation fit more seamlessly with the flow of our essay.  There are spaces between each period  When you quote just a word or a short phrase, no ellipsis is necessary  Also, do not use an ellipsis to indicate that you have left out the beginning of a sentence; only missing words from the end or somewhere in the middle of a sentence need to be indicated with an ellipsis. ORIGINAL: The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees.

SMOOTHLY INTEGRATED QUOTATION: Hemingway uses the image of a momentary darkness to suggest the woman's growing disillusionment. After her quarrel with the man, "the shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain[ . . .]." (21). A similar shadow gradually develops over their relationship. ORIGINAL: That look of seeing into things, of seeing through a thing to something else, was in the eyes of the sheriff's wife now. SMOOTHLY INTEGRATED QUOTATION: Mrs. Peters sometimes appears to be almost supernatural. For example, Glaspell describes her "look of seeing into things, of seeing through a thing to something else[ . . .]." (333). However, this "look" really demonstrates a sense of intuition rather than any magical powers.

Altering the Source Material in a Quotation The responsibility of representing other people's words accurately lies firmly on the shoulders of the author. Inaccurate quotes not only defeat the purpose of using a quote, they may also constitute plagiarism. However, there are approved methods for altering quotes for either clarity or succinctness. Quote length If the original quote is too long and you feel not all the words are necessary in your own paper, you may omit part of the quote. Replace the missing words with an ellipsis. Original Quote: The quarterback told the reporter, "It's quite simple. They played a better game, scored more points, and that's why we lost." Omitted Material: The quarterback told the reporter, "It's quite simple. They . . . scored more points, and that's why we lost."

Make sure that the words you remove do not alter the basic meaning of the original quote in any way. Also ensure that the quote's integration and missing material still leave a grammatically correct sentence. Quote context If the context of your quote might be unclear, you may add a few words to provide clarity. Enclose the added material in brackets. Added Material: The quarterback told the reporter, "It's quite simple. They [the other team] played a better game, scored more points, and that's why we lost."

Quotations within a Quotation Use single quotation marks to enclose quotes within another quotation. The reporter told me, "When I interviewed the quarterback, he said they simply 'played a better game.'"

Quotation Marks Beyond Quoting Quotation marks may additionally be used to indicate words used ironically or with some reservation. The great march of "progress" has left millions impoverished and hungry.

Do not use quotation marks for words used as words themselves. In this case, you should use italics. The English word nuance comes from a Middle French word meaning "shades of color." Here’s an example of what a body paragraph should look like: If I was writing a paper on The Lovely Bones, my thesis might look something like this: Although Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones is a tale of a horrific and unthinkable crime, the greater story lies within the themes of the power of family, the importance of the grieving process, and the relationships that are formed before and after a tragedy. Then my 3rd body paragraph might look like this: The death, especially the murder, of a child is a horrific crime that no one wants to imagine. Some of the hidden beauty in Sebold’s novel is the inclusion of a point of view that may not have been previously considered by readers. When a person thinks about the death of a child, all that comes to mind is the heartbreak and the inconsolable and desolate feelings that her family and friends must have experienced. Susie Salmon realizes that, “connections — sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost, but often magnificent *…+” were made in the wake of her death (Sebold 320). These connections defined the people she left behind. Ray, Ruth, Lindsay, Jack, Abigail, and even Grandma Lynn were forever changed by her death---not just in a sorrowful way---but in a way that profoundly defined their futures. Susie’s death gave them strength, courage, wisdom, and above all a commonality, a bond with each other that could not be broken. Susie even explains that these connections were made at a cost, but she still wishes her readers “a long and happy life” (328). In the final pages of the book, Susie is trying to impart the most important message of all to her readers---one of hope—to look for the good, however small, that can come from a tragedy. Look for the relationships that were gained, however “tenuous” and appreciate them. This paragraph (double-spaced) is nearly half a page and more could EASILY be added. Pay attention to how the quotes were integrated, how I stuck to my thesis (the basic idea that although the book was sad, there were happy things that came out of it), and how the sentences flowed---everything was explained and explained well and with conviction. Sources: for additional information, please see the following sites:  http://www.learningcommons.uoguelph.ca/ByFormat/OnlineResources/Fastfacts/WritingFastfacts/FastfactsUsingQuotations.html#Quotations7  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html  http://www.learningcommons.uoguelph.ca/ByFormat/OnlineResources/Fastfacts/WritingFastfacts/FastfactsUsingQuotations.html

Directions: Choose 1 random topic and write a body paragraph. Follow the model: Topic/ Purpose of Paper: To prove that the movie The Hangover actually teaches moral values, integrity, and friendship. Although most of the movie is about finding their friend, Doug, it would seem the main characters do not have any real concern for each other and ultimately their friendships. It could be argued that Stu, Phil, and Alan are actually self-absorbed and don‘t really care about the welfare of their friends. The first clue to the contrary is the generosity that Stu shows for his friend, Doug. Upon arriving at the hotel, Stu (with Phil‘s help) decides ―put the penthouse villa on [his] credit card‖ (Phillips 102). Though Stu is only a dentist, he clearly doesn‘t allow money to get in the way of showing his friend that he cares. Another solid example of the power of friendship is the song that Alan sings in the car when the men finally realize Doug‘s whereabouts. Alan proclaims his love for ―his two best friends‖ and proves that he is grateful and appreciative of their kindness and efforts to include him in the group (193). Although the men have their differences, in the end Doug is found unharmed and the men revel in their crazy night in Vegas. The movie‘s final message is that no matter what crazy messes you and your friends get into, good friends will always have your back— monetarily and emotionally. Make something up! Use fake quotes and citations. I just want you to practice using quote integration, parenthetical citations, and explaining your ideas! Hang on to these papers and we will go over them tomorrow. We may also have a quiz on the information in this packet---so make sure you read it and attempt to commit it to memory. 